Nature-Based Pediatric Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review.

AIMS: Our purpose was to explore the scope of nature-based interventions used in pediatric occupational therapy and identify gaps in existing literature. METHODS: This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. We searched CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLine, and gray literature, and we hand-searched included articles' references. We included studies published through June, 2021 that were in English, described a service provided by occupational therapists, with a population with at least 50% of participants ages 0-21 years, with nature as a primary context and treatment modality. Studies were excluded if they only described animal-assisted therapies or human-made structures. RESULTS: A total of 12 articles (two reporting quasi-experimental studies; 10 gray literature) met inclusion criteria. Articles described a variety of interventions, but there was a lack of rigor in included articles and no clear conceptualization of nature-based pediatric occupational therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Despite practitioner interest in the topic, there are two primary gaps in the literature: lack of a clear conceptualization of nature-based practices for occupational therapy and lack of articulation of the unique contribution of occupational therapy to nature-based practices.

Integrated Occupational Therapy Camp for Children with Regulation/Sensory Processing Differences: Preliminary Evaluation.

Background. Integration of occupational therapy into a camp environment may support participation for children with neurodevelopmental differences, but evidence is limited. Purpose. This study examines the effects of participation of children with regulation/sensory processing differences at one such integrated camp on parent-established functional goals. Method. We used a pre-test/post-test repeated measures cohort design. Individualized goals were established with parents three months before camp using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) (n = 82, child ages 4-13). Parents re-rated goals immediately before, one month after, and three months after camp. Findings. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed improvement in occupational performance over the week of camp significantly exceeded change within the three months prior. Improvements remained stable three months post-camp. Implications. Integrating occupational therapy within a camp setting is beneficial for children with neurodevelopmental differences. The COPM can be integrated into a camp setting to document meaningful change in individualized parent-established goals.